Author Spotlight: AllAboutEric

And here we are with another author spotlight of a VERY talented writer! Eeek! Just going back over all these makes me giddy.

This author I found purely by accident. Usually I read a story, then go through the authors other stories, then into their favorites. But one day I was horrendously bored and decided to browse through the recently updated list. And I found Immortal Beloved (which will get it’s own spotlight eventually because it’s truly a magnificent piece of writing!). So I began reading…I believe it was fairly early on in the writing too. So I’d wait so impatiently every single week for updates. I was so happy and sad when it ended. *Pout* But anyways, let’s hear from AllAboutEric!

So, tell me a little about yourself.
I’m a Brit, I have two kids, two cats, one husband, one mortgage and not enough time in the day!

What do you do when you’re not writing?
I’m an office worker currently but my big love is singing. I trained as an opera singer and I do cabaret, weddings, funerals, that sort of thing (very reasonable rates, no job too big or too small, let me quote you…). I also sing for local hospices and other charities.

Do you pull experiences from your real life into your writing?
Yes, of course, my entire existence is one mad whirl of murder, mayhem, blood, romance, werewolves, fairies, Corvettes and smoking hot vampire sex (with Eric)… oh, sorry, you said REAL life. Damn. Sadly, only in terms of music and reading. My whole life has been spent reading and so I often put quotes into my work. Same with music.

How do you come up with your titles?
I guess I pinch them mostly – Immortal Beloved is the ultimate quote from Beethoven – he dedicated a piece of music to his Immortal Beloved, but nobody knows who it was, although there’s lots of guesses. What Happened in Vegas, well, obviously… I suppose the titles are the least important parts of the story for me – like the wrapping – the goodies are all inside.

Ultimate girl question: chocolate or vanilla?
Are we talking ice cream here? If so, chocolate (although with a big shout out for strawberry). If we’re talking sex … well, hey, I’ve never really been a vanilla girl in any sense of the word. Sorry, TMI there? *coughs, tries to remember how to blush*

Besides SVM, do you have another series of books that you love or that you’d ever write fanfics for?
Love the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but I could never write it – every single one of those guys has such attitude I don’t think I could ever replicate the dialogue.

What is the best compliment you’ve received on your writing?
Difficult to say, people have been really, really kind to me. In over 8,000 reviews I’ve never had a really bad one. I think one of the shortest and nicest reviews was “I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve thrown my phone across the room…” To evoke such an emotional response from a reader was a hell of a compliment. I’ve also had teachers telling me they’ve used chunks of my prose to illustrate their English lessons and people saying they’ve taken to heart some of the advice my characters have given, so I feel very blessed, really. To be a part of people’s lives and routines in a small way is very touching.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Read, read, and don’t stop reading. Read good literature and let it seep into your mind. It’ll come out in your writing if you let it. Also, beta your work properly or get someone else to do it for you – so many readers are put off by poor quality prose.

What sort of Starbuck’s concoction would your characters order?
A bit of a difficult one for me, as I don’t drink coffee (hot drinks are bad for the voice). But Sookie thinks four dollars is too much to pay for a cup of warm foam, so she wouldn’t do Starbucks. One of her bodyguards once ordered a white chocolate mocha. Eric wouldn’t demean himself, even when human – he has his own bean-to-cup machine.

Tell us something random about yourself.
I’m only five feet tall and I’m captain of the ladies team at the local bowling club.

What kind of environment do you write in?
I write in the spare bedroom, surrounded by guess what? ….. books! And my Kindle is never far from my side. I’ve got the whole SVM on there, so it’s quick and easy to check references.

Tell the truth. Do you ever write naked?
In a robe sometimes, but never completely in the buff. I have kids, and there are some things a caring parent should not do to a teenage son…

Where can you be found online?
I spend time with the Fangreaders, I’m on Facebook and Twitter, but that’s about it.
(***Her fanfiction profile can be found here.***)

Anything else you’d like to tell?
Oooh, now you’re asking.

Yup, lay it on me!
I’ve only been writing since November 2010 ( just over 20 months) so I haven’t written very much. I’m still learning.

Immortal Beloved has been translated into French and Spanish (by some very devoted readers, who have way too much time on their hands…) and I was very honoured that it was nominated for five Fangies, winning three and coming second in the other two. I was also slightly puzzled that it was recently nominated for the Giggle/Snort awards. It’s many things, but I wouldn’t have said it was a comedy. Still, whatever floats your goat …

There you have it. Like last week’s spotlight, this was done a few months ago and just never got posted. But I still think she’s an awesome writer and needed to get this out there for the masses (all like 10 of you that read this that is).